Mielenterveys- ja päihdeosaamista terveysasemille ja avosairaanhoitoon (MIETE)

Mental
health and substance abuse coaching for the professionals of health center and
outpatient care (MIETE).  1.4.2024-31.3.2027.

According
to the National Mental Health Strategy and Programme for Suicide Prevention
2020– 2030, mental health and substance abuse disorders are a major public
health challenge and the need for mental health services has increased. The
lifetime risk for developing mental illness is nearly 50%.

Mental
health and substance abuse disorders cause a variety of suffering and impaired
functioning for the patient and loved ones. The support of family and loved
ones is a significant protective factor for mental health. Parent's illness is
a risk factor for the mental well-being of a child and young person, because a
large part of mental illnesses break out during childhood and adolescence. The
services would have to consider loved ones as a resource and as those in need
of support. According to Finnish studies, up to half of mental health and
substance abuse disorders in pri mary care patients go unrecognized, and 25% of
primary care patients have one of those disorders. Sufficient information on
early identification and assessment of the need for treatment enable timely
treatment guidance and prevention of disease worsening. Based on the studies,
mental health and substance abuse competence in primary health care should be
increased.

The goal is
to increase the expertise of professionals in the individual and comprehensive
encounter of a somatically ill mental health patient and his family, both in
the early stages of treatment and later as the treatment continues. The need
for the project has been identified in the wellbeing services county of Central
Finland. The aim of the operating model is to give professional tools to
strengthen the resilience of the family and family members, to accept the
illness, to understand it and to treat it, taking into account the mental
health and substance abuse problem and its special features. The whole family
needs psychoeducational information about the family member's illness and its
effects on the patient and the family community.

Professionals
play a major role in therapeutic encounters and support, increasing awareness
and reducing the shame or stigma associated with the disease. Professionals may
have negative preconceptions about mental health and substance abuse
rehabilitators due to a lack of knowledge and skills. Incorrect prejudices,
values and attitudes weaken cooperation and commitment to treatment. By
increasing competence, awareness can be increased and attitudes can change.

After the
coaching, the professionals know how to use evidence-based good practices that
promote the patient's health and well-being. The trainings will be implemented
at the health centers and outpatient care offices to be agreed with the
wellbeing services county of Central Finland. The project produces methods and
an online material folder for professionals. The training model and materials
will be placed on HYVAKS's Moodle platform, and it will remain available after
the end of the project.

The project
supports the goals of the Future Health and Social Services Centre Programme,
such as by increasing the mental health and substance abuse skills of
professionals, and their ability to meet, treat and guide patients, so that the
patients can become as equal members of society.

The project
is implemented through the following work packages (TP):

TP1 Mapping
and joint planning of the health station and outpatient care situation TP2
Training for health professionals

TP3
Creating and implementing an operating model TP4 Communication and information
sharing

The target
group is the professionals of health centers and outpatient care in the
wellbeing services county of Central Finland, whose basic task is other than
psychiatric nursing, such as health care staff in the inpatient wards of health
centers, family services staff, for example health care nurses, oral health
care staff, diabetes nurses and physiotherapists, podiatrists, dietitians.

More information.

Hannu Piispanen

project manager

p. 0401832682

hannu.piispanen@jamk.fi